Illuminated signs, in one form or another, have been developed along with the candle, light bulb, and fluorescent lamp. The first illuminated sign probably consisted of a covered candle whose light would shine through an opening in the cover. With the advent of electricity and the light bulb, illuminated signs became more prevalent. A majority of these signs would include a light bulb as the light source, a cover which would have certain shapes cut into it in order to allow the light from the light bulb to shine through, and a reflector in order to reflect the light produced by the light bulb more directly through the spaces cut in the cover.
As illuminated signs became more common, a number of variations were designed. For example, the light emanating from a light source would sometimes be diffused in order to provide a certain effect or a certain color to the light emerging from the openings in a cover. Of course, with the advent of the fluorescent lamp and the neon lamp, illuminated signs became even more fanciful.
Nevertheless, as illuminated signs became more plentiful their ability to attract attention, for which they were originally designed, became less pronounced. The proliferation of illuminated signs has made them a victim of their own success. An illuminated sign no longer attracts the attention of a bypasser as it once did. Furthermore, some of the newer signs which rely on gimmicks to attract attention have become complicated and expensive to install and maintain.
This is particularly true in the beer and soft drink field where various types of animated signs have long competed for the consumer's jaded attention, and where there is a constant demand for signs having new and different effects, particularly effects that increase the consumer's desire to purchase the beverages advertised.
As a result, sign makers have experimented with various types of illuminated signs designed to suggest the cool and refreshing aspects of cold beverages, including signs portraying animated water falls, sparkling lakes and rivers, and snowy and winter ice-type scenes. While some of these signs have been effective, there is a limit to the realism of previous signs seeking to convey images of ice and snow to suggest cold and refreshing beverages. Consequently, there has been a demand by beverage suppliers and distributors for new types of signs with more realistic images of snow and ice both to capture the consumer's attention and to stimulate his desire to purchase the cold beverages being advertised.
In response to this demand, applicant has sought to develop illuminated signs with letters having a realistic ice-like appearance. To this end, applicant has experimented with various configurations of light sources, reflectors and diffusion means, as well as vacuum formed sign panels with ice shaped letters. In one prior art version, applicant attempted to interest potential customers in a sign with a light source surrounded by a diffusion member, a reflector, and a vacuum formed sign panel with transparent ice shaped letters, but the sign lacked the realism of the present invention and was not successful. Subsequently, applicant discovered that the addition of a separate diffusion panel in addition to a diffusion member surrounding the light source creates a surprisingly more realistic ice-like effect.